As I sit down to write this, I am uncertain which direction I should take in explaining the events of the past week. It has been amazing to see how the Father has so graciously positioned me precisely where I need to be at this time of the month. On the global scene pressure continues to build that could point to a catastrophic climax in the coming months. Our 12-year old son, whose journey into manhood began this blog, will turn15-years old in about a week. I have seen things in each of these areas that need to be expounded on. I think the overwhelming area though is realizing what is happening with work and how it impacts my family, my walk with the godhead and potentially those who follow along.
Goal setting is something that has been drilled into me for decades. The stories I could tell and the fingers I could point to those within the traditional church about the subject are endless. But there is something different about this year. This year I sensed that still small voice of the Lord telling me to expect this to be the way it will be in 2016. In relationship to work, I will make a certain amount in production each month that will result in a certain amount of income. Three weeks into the New Year, I am precisely where I should be in production to see the precise amount of income that the Father spoke with me about. I have done nothing differently in January than any other month prior. The difference is that I have approached each day with the attitude that the godhead and I are on an adventure. I will say, “Where will the adventure take us today?” I started writing down the successes of each day. Almost every day has something exciting written in it. The challenge now comes that at the end of the month—only one week remaining—I need to have the same thing happen in order to finish on target. The challenge to that is that I do not have the necessary appointments in order to make that happen. The challenge to that is the fact that I don’t need to have the necessary appointments to make it happen, because the adventure is a daily one. What I have come to understand about this is that my competitive nature is working overtime to kick into gear and knock it out, while my eternal side is simply reminding me that this is the Lord’s doing. I need to sit back—not slack off, becoming lazy—and observe as He, the godhead, brings it about. That is a very difficult challenge. It is one that I have preached about many times through the years that I was in the traditional setting. However living it out the way I preached it isn’t at all so easy. I say it isn’t easy; if I were really dead to my will & whims as I am supposed to be, it would be easy. But I can clearly see that I am not. The question becomes what do I do? Do I thank the Lord for directing me thus far and let him know that I can handle it from here? Or do I use the word of God—called the sword of the spirit—to put to death that self-willed attitude and seriously trust Him to take care of it? I do not know if you have ever been there, but it isn’t at all easy. If you will allow me a brief rabbit trail. The recording artist Kenny Rogers made famous a song many years ago about a gambler. I am working on an article that will appear on the site in a few weeks that speaks about life’s gamble. The second part of it will expound on what I am about to write. There is a line that goes something like this. You have got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run. Even though I have never gambled, I can relate this to life’s situations. As it relates to what I am talking about, I need to know when to put forth the effort to do the necessary things to serve the family in front of me. I also need to know when to step back and allow the godhead to put in place whatever is necessary to make my production figures. The point is this. I have been trained to do a certain job. I am to utilize that training while doing that job. However, I have made a commitment to allow the godhead to be in charge of my life. This means I must understand the difference between doing what I have been trained to do and stepping back to allow Him to do what needs to be done. The beauty of this journey is that this does not have to be a mystery. I do not have to guess or wonder if I have it right or not. As I allow the relationship with the godhead—that being the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—to develop and grow, I will know which course of action—or in-action—to take at the right time. Does this happen quickly? Of course not—but it does happen as I continually develop it. By this I mean as long as I make myself available to spend time with the Lord and surrender my wishes, desires or ambitions to His for my life, then knowing what to do when becomes easier. I am saying all of that is say that I acknowledge that I have a long way to go—but I am going in the right direction.